Dig the Tropic

It's 23.5 degrees south of the equator and the natural wonders and diverse landscapes of Australia, Chile, Brazil and South Africa all share it. The Tropic of Capricorn lays the groundwork for a trail of real dinosaur fossils, ancient rainforests, sapphire gemfields and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef?

You can explore all these and more with Capricorn Way's Dig the Tropic.

Spanning approximately 1200km along the Capricorn Highway from the Capricorn Coast, inland to the Central Highlands and towards the Outback, Dig the Tropic will see you uncovering the history of Australia - from the Jurassic era to the present day.

Explore ancient limestone caverns at Capricorn Caves, visit Mt Morgan; home to over 300 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints, discover Thundereggs at Mt Hay and fossick for gems on the Sapphire Gemfields. Go on a real Australian road trip and discover a real adventure as you follow the Capricorn Way, the link to Outback Queensland.

The drive is easily accessible whether you are in a car, 4x4, camp trailer and even a caravan. Take your time and experience all there is to offer from the Reef to the Outback.

Journey Map

Full itinerary

At the north-eastern edge of the sandstone belt, the spectacular gorges of Blackdown Tableland National Park rise boldly above the plains. The steep escarpments offer a dramatic sight and protect a beautiful National Park adorned with waterfalls and aboriginal rock art.

The Park protects a sandstone plateau rising abruptly above the flat plains. Bordered by high rugged cliffs, this is the traditional home of the Ghungalu people. Rock art across the park reminds us of their connection with this country. Dissected by deep gorges, the park offers spectacular lookouts and scenic waterfalls.

Unique plant communities thrive in the cooler, elevated climate. Several short tracks take in creeks, lookouts and interesting relics from the past. Go spotlighting at night or relax in the peaceful Munall campground. Enjoy the views from Horseshoe lookout. In a four wheel drive, explore the 19 kilometre loop road.

Heading WestStop at Blackwater, the Coal Capital of Queensland and home to the International Coal Centre.

Heading EastFossick for 120 million year old thundereggs or 'volcanic birthstones' at Mt Hay. Take a short detour to Mount Morgan, once Australia's greatest gold mining town.

Starlight's Lookout - Age of Dinosaurs Museum

Camped on this very rise and surrounded by 1,000 head of stolen cattle, a handful of the outback's most wanted cattle thieves sit huddled around their swags. The infamous Captain Starlight and his men gathered together 1000 stolen cattle on a lonely Jumpup (Mesa), north-east of Longreach. Today you can experience the legend of Starlight and the wonder of Jumpup Country by climbing Starlight's Lookout. Be rewarded with fantastic views and sensational sunset photo opportunities.

Located approximately 40 minutes' drive from Longreach, Starlight's Lookout can be accessed from unsealed Muttaburra-Westside Road. Suitable footwear and reasonable fitness is required. Stop into Cawnpore Lookout, amidst this stunning landscape of red plains and jumpups, discover the trackways of the world's only recorded dinosaur stampede. These prints have remained frozen in time for about 95 million years.

Heading WestVisit Winton's Waltzing Matilda Centre for a dose of Australian folklore and the rustic mining settlement of Opalton to search for treasure. Stop for a cold one at Middleton's pub before admiring the mesa at Cawnpore Lookout.

Heading EastHeading toward the Main Dividing Range enjoy the therapeutic properties of the Ilfracombe mineral spa, a result of the Great Artesian Basin.

Blackwater International Coal Centre – Sapphire Gemfields

The Blackwater International Coal Centre provides amazing perspectives to the coal mining industry as it showcases the Australian coal industry to the world. See how early settlers lived and worked. Wonder at the size and scale of the massive equipment used today, and learn about Australia's leading role in the development of technologies of global importance. Experience the warm welcome of a country mining town, see outback scenery and be amazed at the sheer size of this vital, world class industry. It's a total interactive learning experience for the whole family.

Visit Blackwater International Coal Centre, relive the history and explore the future of coal mining at the Blackwater International Coal Centre. If you still want more after visiting the interpretive centre, be sure not to miss a guided tour to see a real working coal mine first hand.

Heading WestPass through Emerald, the hub of the Central Highlands. Outside the Town Hall you will find a fossilised tree trunk estimated to be 250 million years old.

Heading EastDiscover Blackdown Tableland National Park, where a spectacular sandstone plateau rises abruptly above Central Queensland's plains; and fossick for 120 million year old thundereggs at Mt Hay.

Age of Dinosaurs Museum - Opalton

Do you dare to tread Dinosaur Country? Winton's eternal flats once swarmed with prehistoric wildlife and lush flora. From the frightening to the fantastic, see the remains of these Capricorn dinosaurs at Winton's Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum.When Winton was a forested wetland, the region was full of incredible prehistoric creatures.

How can I experience Dinosaur Country? Winton Dinosaur Preparation Project: Help bring these prehistoric giants back to life! Get hands on with real dinosaur bones, and help to prepare fossils for display. Dinosaur Discovery Week: Dig for dinosaur bones as part of this exciting excavation project. Join the team amid the vast, rolling Mitchell grass downs, and help retrieve 'never seen before' dinosaur bones. Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways: See the trackways of the world's only recorded dinosaur stampede, which have remained frozen in time for about 95 million years.

Heading WestVisit Winton's Waltzing Matilda Centre for a dose of Australian folklore and the rustic mining settlement of Opalton to search for treasure.

Heading EastLongreach is home to the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, and Starlight's Lookout, the jumpup used in the infamous cattle heist.

Great Barrier Reef – Capricorn Caves

A sinking coast, a chain of eruptions, and many millions of years created the Tropic of Capricorn's stunning seascape. Volcanic plugs, a gorgeous headline, and the world famous Great Barrier Reef remain a testament to this ancient world.

You may be surprised to know the Great Barrier Reef, which thrives beyond the Keppel Group of Islands, is part of a coastal plain formed from the erosion of the Great Dividing Range!

Heading west - Visit Capricorn Caves and Mount Etna Caves National Park. Fossick for 120 million year old thundereggs or 'volcanic birthstones' at Mt Hay. See the breathtaking sandstone plateau rising above Central Queensland's plains at Blackdown Tableland National Park.

Heading east from Yeppoon you can hop aboard a regular ferry to scenic Great Keppel Island.

Sapphire Gemfields - Drummond Range Lookout

The largest sapphire fields in the Southern Hemisphere lie here, in Queensland's Central Highlands: Anakie, Rubyvale, Sapphire and The Willows. Like many of the wonders along the Tropic of Capricorn, the Sapphire Gemfields are a product of incredible time and drastic changes in climate and environment.

Between 70 and 40 million years ago, as the earth's crust shifted, moving Australia closer to its current position, hot spots developed below. Plugs of the Mount Hoy Basalt erupted spewing out basaltic ash and lavas. Abundant sapphires and zircons that had formed deep in the earth's crust, blasted out as crystals in the volcanic ash.

What gemstones might I find on the Sapphire Gemfields? Sapphires come in all shades of the rainbow, although they are typically a deep, royal blue. The Sapphire Gemfields are famous for rich, golden yellow and parti-coloured stones and are also home to the famous black star sapphires.

Heading WestCarry on to Alpha, where dramatic shifts in Tectonic plates formed the Drummond Range - look out for petrified wood.

Heading EastPass through Emerald, the hub of the Central Highlands. Outside the Town Hall you will find a fossilised tree trunk estimated to be 250 million years old.

Opalton – Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways

The rustic mining settlement of Opalton lies 120 kilometres south west of Winton, and is home to the Queensland Boulder Opal. First discovered in 1888, the boulder opal is unique to Queensland's Tropic of Capricorn, occurring within a belt of weathered Cretaceous sedimentary rocks known as the Winton Formation.

A combination of mineral rich water and a slight electrical charge has grown a crystal structure inside the opal that refracts light, creating the stunning appearance of this Tropic treasure. The largest piece of opal on record was uncovered at Opalton, a pipe opal over three metres long. With a fossicking licence you can try your luck 'specking' and 'noodling' for fragments of opal from the surface or spoils of old workings. Licences are available for one to 12 months and can be obtained from the Mining Registrar in Winton and the Opalton Outpost. There are camping facilities and basic cabins.

Heading WestVisit Winton's Waltzing Matilda Centre for a dose of Australian folklore and the rustic mining settlement of Opalton to search for treasure.

Heading EastLongreach is home to the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Starlight's Lookout, the jumpup used in the infamous cattle heist.

Capricorn Caves – Mt Hay

The Capricorn Caves are a living laboratory displaying dramatic climate change. Evidence of these changes can be seen in stunning rock formations, their inhabitants and the fossils of creatures who did not survive.

Australia has about 10,000 known caves, each unique, however these limestone caves are particularly special because of their elevation above the surrounding plains and location on the Tropic of Capricorn.

Heading west- Visit the historic township of Mount Morgan. Once home to the richest and largest gold mine in the world.

Fossick for 120 million year old thundereggs, or 'volcanic birthstones' at Mt Hay. Visit Blackdown Tableland National Park, a sandstone plateau rising abruptly above Central Queensland's plains. Stop in at Blackwater, the Coal Capital of Queensland and home to the International Coal Centre. Enter the Central Highlands and see Emerald's fossilised tree trunk, before exploring the Sapphire Gemfields.

Heading east- Rockhampton is the gateway to the Capricorn Coast. Admire the picturesque headlands at Yeppoon and the twin peaks of Double Head, dramatic examples of ancient volcanic plugs. Take a walk to Fan Rock, an unforgettable site showing the effects of cooling on a plug; and explore the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's seven wonders.

Drummond Range Lookout - Ilfracombe Spa

Alpha and the surrounding region offer evidence of an incredible geo journey. As you hold a piece of fossilized wood, or admire the Drummond Range, you are connected to an ancient story. Violent volcanoes, dramatic shifts in the earth's crust and years of harsh environmental changes have drastically transformed this landscape.

265- 235 million years ago the Drummond Range formed when crustal compression occurred, folding the sediments and uplifting the terrain. Today the Drummond Range sits at 451 metres above sea level and residents and visitors to Alpha still find fossilized wood today, reminding them of the region's Geo Journey.

Enjoy an expansive view across the Drummond Range at this lookout, a short detour from the Capricorn Highway. Head to the Rowley Roberts Tourist Information Centre, Alpha, where the volunteers can show you examples of petrified wood and direct you to where you might discover your own piece in a natural setting.

Heading WestPassing through Jericho to Barcaldine, home to the Tree of Knowledge, before resting your travel weary body in the healing waters of the Ilfracombe Artesian Spa.

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways - Cawnpore Lookout

Around 95 million years ago a herd of small two legged dinosaurs gathered on the banks of a forest lake near Winton. The herd was attacked by a four tonne theropod and stampeded in a panic across the muddy flats.

A record of this dramatic encounter is cast in more than 3300 fossilised footprints at the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways. Lark Quarry, 120 kilometres south west of Winton, is currently the only recorded dinosaur stampede on earth. The footprints tell us about a cooler, wetter world, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and the mammal's time is yet to come. When Winton was a forested wetland, the region was full of incredible prehistoric creatures.

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways are conserved in an ecologically sustainably designed building in Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Drive north from Jundah, or south west from Winton along a gravel road.

Heading WestStop for a cold one at Middleton's pub before admiring the mesa at Cawnpore Lookout. Browse the marine reptile fossils at Boulia's Stonehouse Museum and have yourself a Min Min Encounter.

Heading EastVisit Winton's Waltzing Matilda Centre for a dose of Australian folklore and the rustic mining settlement of Opalton to search for treasure.

Mt Hay – Blackdown Tableland National Park

Nestled at the base of Mt Hay, on what was once a rumbling volcano and the thudereggs you admire today are the fruits of its violent eruptions - "Volcanic Birthstones". Ordinary on the outside, these geo treasures are stunning underneath and their layers tell the story of an incredible geo journey.

The thundereggs formed in silica-rich volcanic rocks resulting from ancient lava flow 120 million years ago. These occurred when two forms of crystallization took place creating spherulites and spheruloids. As the lava cooled the star shaped cavity often seen in thundereggs (spheruloids) developed. The cooling caused minute cracks to occur, allowing silica-rich solutions to seep into the cavities. This filled them with minerals such as quartz, agate, chalcedony, quartz crystals, amethyst, jasper and opalite.

How Can I Experience Mt Hay? Fossicking, guided tour or camping

Heading WestSee the breathtaking sandstone plateau rising above the plains at Blackdown Tableland National Park. Stop at Blackwater, the Coal Capital of Queensland and home to the International Coal Centre.

Heading EastAdmire the picturesque headlands at Yeppoon and the twin peaks of Double Head, dramatic examples of ancient volcanic plugs.

Ilfracombe Spa - Starlight's Lookout

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world. It underlies approximately one-fifth of Australia and extends beneath arid and semi-arid regions stretching from the Great Dividing Range to the Lake Eyre depression.

The water from the GAB continues to be of vital importance to outback regions of Queensland. They often rely solely on this supply for domestic and farming requirements, irrigation, mining, and other essential industries.

Feel the benefits of these therapeutic mineral waters as you soak your travel weary muscles in the Ilfracombe Artesian Spa. Step on in and immerse yourself in the rejuvenating mineral waters of this artesian spa. These warm waters have been waiting up to two million years to alleviate your weary muscles and are believed to contain healing properties. The best part is that entry is absolutely free!

Heading WestLongreach is home to Starlight's Lookout, the jumpup used in Captain Starlight's infamous cattle heist. Heading EastStop in at Barcaldine, spiritual home of the Australian Labour movement. Carry on through Alpha, where dramatic shifts in tectonic plates formed the Drummond Range, and keep your eyes out for petrified wood.

Cawnpore Lookout - Stone House Museum

During the Cretaceous Period, much of Outback Queensland was part of an extensive Inland Sea. Take a journey through time and discover why the ocean filled the Outback; how approaching the Tropic of Capricorn changed Boulia forever; and how the Great Artesian Basin you stand in today links us to this dramatic past.

The Stone House Museum in Boulia features an extensive vertebrate and invertebrate fossil display. See the remains of large fossil marine reptiles, sharks, and fish that once inhabited this region. The museum's unique stone design keeps out the harsh summer heat, typical of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Take a guided tour with local expert 'Dinosaur Dick' Stone House Museum's Marine Dinosaur Collection. Before departing Boulia, decide for yourself whether the Min Min light is a geological wonder or supernatural phenomenon at the spine tingling Min Min Encounter.

Heading WestWest of here waits the stunning panoramas of the Northern Territory.

Heading EastHeading east see the dinosaur trackways at Lark Quarry. Around 95 million years old, this is the only recorded dinosaur stampede on earth. Your geo adventure continues at Winton's incredible Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, as you enter the fascinating world of paleontology.